


Stranger Than You Dreamt It

by Taimat



Category: Homestuck
Genre: M/M, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-19
Updated: 2011-10-19
Packaged: 2017-10-24 18:49:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/266698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taimat/pseuds/Taimat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the meme. Tavros grows wings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stranger Than You Dreamt It

**Author's Note:**

> The wings I have in mind are those of the Promethea moth.

He had kinda been looking forward to meeting Tavros. He'd figured the troll was going to be shy, maybe soft-spoken and awkward, but this?

This is just…sad.

While other trolls are busy talking, touching, licking (he'd finally imagined to escape Terezi), Tavros looks more like he's about to fall over than anything else.

The other troll's eyes are glassy, and though he's sure Tavros is trying to pay attention to him, he keeps blinking to bring them back into focus. He remembers that Tavros' control of those weird robot legs is tenuous at the best of times, so he's ready to flashstep away, if he has to. If Tavros collapses.

"You look like you're about to do a very literal faceplant and knock out all your sweet-ass fangs."

Tavros laughs, if that shuddering breath could be considered a laugh, and bows his head. "I'll be, uh, fine."

"You sure you don't have some kinda weird alien disease? Fuck, are you contagious?"

The trolls blinks, shoulders slumping. "I don't, think so. No one knows, what's wrong with me. But, I think that, if you could catch it, uh, someone would have…" He gives a full-body shudder, then, and okay, that's really worrying. Tavros is going to die on him, and then all the trolls are going to blame him and then John is going to make those goddamn huge eyes at him and he's going to feel like shit.

"Come on, man. Lemee help you to your room, or something."

"Thanks, Dave."

The coolkid slings an arm around Tavros' waist and tries to avoid being stepped on by those legs as they leave. He'd been done with playing meet-and-greet, anyway.

They transportalize using the platform with Tavros' symbol on it, and Dave guesses he only came along by way of being currently physically attached. How he's going to get back, though, he's not sure.

Maybe he's been staring at the transportalizer for too long, because Tavros mumbles from behind him (and when had he walked off, anyway?), "We're not, that far. It's just, uh, easier to not walk."

The human gives a nod of acknowledgement and turns around to find Tavros sprawled inside something that seems more like a bathtub than anything else, though it looks like it's been jigsawed together with scraps of metal. But hey, Dave isn't going to judge. Maybe trolls are super fond of bathtubs or something.

"Thank you."

That's the last thing Tavros says before completely passing out, and with nothing else to do, Dave checks to make sure the guy is still breathing before exiting the room. He has no idea where the fuck he is, but damned if that's going to stop him from getting back to the party.

Okay, so maybe it takes a few more minutes (hours) to get back. By that time, everyone's pretty much chilled out, but John literally flies up from his seat and soars across the room to hug him.

"Where did you go, Dave? You just disappeared, and I thought maybe you had gotten lost!"

"Naw, man. I can take better care a' myself than that. Where's Karkat?" Dave figures that's the best place to start, since the grumpy troll is their leader or whatever. He's well aware that all eyes are on him as he crosses the room, as John lets his hand go in front of Karkat, who's currently scowling up at him.

Maybe his face is just stuck like that.

"What's up with Tavbro?"

Karkat sighs and actually manages to slouch even more. "We don't know. He just started fading one day, and we can't figure out why."

"Fading."

"How else would you describe it, fuckass?" The troll's fangs flash as he snarls. "He's always tired, always weak, despite the enormous amount of food he manages to put away."

Gentle footsteps come up behind him, and Dave turns to find a pretty troll with an unearthly glow. Rose's troll, Kanaya.

"That is what makes this so confusing, Dave. He still eats. He is in no pain. He seems to be otherwise fine, and we cannot think of anything to do for him."

"So he could just die in there and no one would notice? What happens when he stops coming outta his room?" Dave definitely does not care. He's just trying to keep the peace and stop their allies from dying off. Okay, so maybe he cares about that. But that's all.

"Are you volunteering to watch over him?" Kanaya's mouth twitches in what's definitely a shadow of a smile, and Dave thinks, fuck, that is so not what I said, you conniving little vampire troll. But before his mouth can catch up with his brain, John's tugging at his hand and gazing at him expectantly and shit.

He really needs a best friend who isn't immune to his utter coolness. A best friend who understands that Dave is not going to be coerced into anything, because Dave makes his own decisions. He is captain of this ship, and he doesn't need a first mate or a compass or a map because he makes his own fuckin' maps. 'Cause he goes where he pleases. And no amount of big, watery eyes is going to--

"Yeah, sure."

…the hell had that come from?

John grins. Dave sighs. Minutely.

~~~~~~~

Maybe this is almost a good thing, because there's not much else to do on this rock besides make battle plans, argue, play computer games, argue, train, argue, and make out.

Not that Dave's getting much of that, but John and Rose are apparently getting enough action for all four of them, and Dave has definitely walked in on more inter-species makeouts than he ever really wanted to.

Anyway, here he sits, watching Tavros sleep in his weird bathtub-looking thing that gets bigger by the day. Dave wonders when he gets the time to work on it, since he seems to spend all of it either passed out or eating, with occasional short conversations with Dave in between. The amount of time he spends sleeping gets longer by the day, and when it starts bleeding into the time where Dave would usually be sleeping, the coolkid sometimes finds himself slipping off, too.

At one point, he jolts awake to a banging noise, blinking in the dark and waiting for his eyes to focus, sword drawn until he figures out what the hell is going on.

Tavros is moving around the room, back and forth, piecing things together, and oh, that's when he works on it. Dave's about to ask why when he notices one particular detail. Tavros' eyes are _closed_.

Sucking in a breath, Dave leans back in his chair. Sleepwalkers are not supposed to get woken up, right? So he'll just…sit here and wait.

This is probably why Tavros is so tired all the time. Hell, Dave would be tired, too, if his sleeping hours were spent building shit instead of resting. Even for aliens, this can't be normal. If it were, one of the other trolls would have figured it out, right? Like, oh, of course Tavros is tired. He's building a bathtub in his sleep. I built myself a bookshelf just last week. You see this table? Seven REM cycles, baby.

Time passes, and Tavros eventually collapses into the basin again, and Dave just sits there, watching.

He tries to ask Tavros about it when he wakes, but all he's able to get out of the troll is that he had kind of guessed he was sleepwalking. But Tavros has no idea why. No idea why he doesn't rest when he sleeps, no idea why he's building this whatever-it-is, no idea what this thing is even supposed to be for, other than a place he sleeps every night. But he does ask Dave not to tell. He doesn't really want to worry anyone. He also doesn't want to get ridiculed for something he's not even aware of, since he gets enough of that as it is.

Dave agrees. He continues to spend more time than is probably healthy watching the troll, both asleep and awake. Nothing really changes, other than the tub thing turning into more of a…capsule, and Tavros getting more and more exhausted.

One night, Dave is watching Tavros make his building rounds when the other boy actually exits the room. And this is new. He's never left before.

Dave trails along, following as he ends up at the alchemizer. No one's around at this time of…night? So they have the place to themselves. Tavros starts pulling cards and punching in codes off the top of his head, and Dave just stands back because he has no idea what Tavros is doing.

A small vat of something decidedly green and slime-like appears, and Tavros lifts it and starts back toward his room, Dave trailing in his wake. He dumps the stuff into his capsule-looking thing, and Dave watches him leave again. After a few trips, he's decided that this is going to take a while and sits down to wait. It's not like he can help, anyway.

When he wakes, there is a huge pile of empty containers and no Tavros. Thinking that Tavros just went to sleep in the thing that must be one of those troll beds (it makes so much sense, now), Dave gets up and saunters over.

He freezes when he realizes that he can't see through the slime because there's a weird brown…shield…thing over it. Holding out a hand, he presses his fingers to it, and it's smooth and solid. There's no give to it at all. He steps back, now thoroughly freaked out, and flashsteps away to find someone who might know what the hell is going on.

No one does, of course, and Equius' offer to break through the walls of the capsule are immediately shot down by Kanaya, who wears a look of contemplation. Her advice is to leave well enough alone, but she suggests that Dave should stand guard.

"Just in case."

Just in case of what? If Tavros crawled in there and died (he ignores the strange feeling that accompanies that thought), then what use is sitting around it going to do? If Tavros is planning on coming out ever, then he's probably taking his own sweet time, and Dave doesn't think he's going to have any sort of effect on that, either.

But he stays.

He's not sure what that says about him.

~~~~~~~

It's been two weeks. Two weeks of wandering between Tavros' room and the common rooms. Occasional conversations with his friends and with the other trolls. He's convinced Jade to create a sketchbook and some pens for him so that he can occupy himself by drawing shitty comics as he sits there in boredom. Sometimes John comes and chills with him, in between making plans and making out. And life goes on.

At the end of those two weeks, Dave hears a soft scratching noise come from the pod thing. He jerks in surprise, gouging a huge line across Hella Jeff's face, then decides it looks better like that. His head lifts when the scratching comes again, followed by the noise of something tearing.

The initial surprise (and, okay, happiness) at finding that Tavros really isn't dead is soon replaced by the worry that he _will_ be, because it sounds like he's ripping himself apart in there.

Dave crosses the room quickly and leans over the pod just in time to jump back when the tip of one horn pierces through it. If he had to call it anything, he'd say Tavros is…hatching. Those wicked horns make short work of the shield that had enclosed the troll, and a clawed hand scrabbles at the edge as Tavros pulls himself out.

He's dripping with green ooze, and he's panting as he works his shoulders free. Dave doesn't even have time to puzzle at how Tavros is clambering out before rust-colored eyes find his.

Rust. Not grey.

"Dave…?" Tavros' voice is no more than a whisper, and when he goes tumbling to the ground, spilling out the rest of the way, Dave is there in an instant to catch him.

He's not wearing a single thing.

Dave might've felt compelled to look away, had it looked like there was…well, anything between Tavros' legs…

Red eyes go wide as they watch Tavros move and shift, long legs bending and twisting because he's trying to roll over onto his side. Helping the other boy along, Dave nearly trips on what looks like soggy leather. At first, he thinks it's something that made it into the slime with Tavros, but when he tries to tug it away, the troll gasps and shudders, his hands digging into Dave's skin more roughly than he appreciates. Apparently those things are _attached_ to Tavros, and okay, he's just going to roll with it because it's not like he has a fucking clue what's going on.

He really wants to go find help, or at least a towel, but Tavros is making soft whimpering noises and crawling into Dave's lap, arms tightening around his neck while Tavros turns his head so as not to gore Dave with his horns.

"Tired…"

And then he promptly passes out, leaving Dave with an armful of slimy, hatchling troll sporting regrown appendages and the appearance of what Dave suspects might be a pair of wings.

Aliens, man.

~~~~~~~

By the time John comes to find him, Dave's legs are numb, and the slime has definitely soaked through his clothes, leaving him with an uncomfortable squishy feeling. They try to move Tavros off and onto the ground, but the troll only growls and clings more tightly. So Dave just…falls sideways with him. Lying down has to be an improvement, right?

Dave sends John to go find someone, and Tavros shifts against Dave's body, his slime-infused mohawk dragging underneath Dave's chin. Which is how Karkat finds them, concerned John in tow.

Karkat's first reaction is to become speechless, lean back against the wall, and slowly slide down.

Okay, Dave had been hoping for a little more help than that.

It's not until John pokes him that Karkat makes another attempt at speaking. It's more of a gurgle than anything else, and the crowd of ten other trolls that has apparently followed him here is equally surprised, and it's a good minute before Gamzee steps forward with a grin, rattling off something about miracles.

As soon as his hand touches Tavros' wings, though, the rust-blooded troll is snarling in his sleep, claws scratching against Dave's skin, and Gamzee draws away, eyes wide and confused and more than a little hurt.

"Everyone back off. No more touching the fairy troll." Dave shrugs off a wince, glad when Tavros stops digging in quite so hard. "Does anyone have any idea what the hell is going on?"

"He has wings, you dipshit." Eridan's lip is curled in distaste, and wow, that's actually the most helpful thing anyone has said so far.

"So what do we do about it?" Dave prompts, trying to get something out of the trolls. This is their deal, right?

"There is nothing to be done about it." Ever-helpful, Kanaya kneels down by the pair, thankfully not touching anything. "Please understand, it has been hundreds of years since there has existed a troll with wings."

"But Vriska and--"

Kanaya shakes her head, and John clams up from his position in the doorway. "No. These are not god tier wings. These are something completely different. These are hereditary. It would explain Tavros' recent behavior, though why he grew them now instead of being hatched with them, I could not tell you."

"Got legs, too."

"Yes, I see. It would appear that, while his body was reforming, it returned itself to its ideal state. Or at least, what that state should be, at this point in time. Barring other unfortunate accidents."

That kind of makes sense. "What do I do with him?"

"You wait for him to wake up."

Dave groans on the inside. He's hungry, the floor sucks, and he kinda has to pee. "Come on, Tavbro."

To everyone's complete shock, Tavros stirs. His legs stretch, and his wings look like they're attempting do to the same, problem being that they still look mostly like bundles of wet newspaper. He squirms a bit closer to Dave before cracking his eyes open.

The first thing he sees is Dave, and he gives the boy a grin that is both adorable and frightening due to the large amount of fangs. "You waited for me."

And when he goes to nuzzle back into Dave, he sees everyone else. His eyes go wide, and he looks like he's trying to hide behind the human, despite the fact that there's no way it would be possible with those horns.

"Um…I don't, know?" He answers the unspoken question, but when Eridan steps forward, trying to circle around and get a better look, Tavros is scrambling to lift his torso off the ground with shaking arms, snarling. Apparently surprised by his own behavior, he claps a hand over his mouth. No longer able to support his own weight with just one arm, he goes crashing back down onto Dave. "Sorry…"

"I think that we should leave for the time being." Kanaya rises gracefully and looks to Karkat, who nods.

"Yeah. Everyone out. Move."

There's a loud scuffle as they leave, voices speaking in not-so-hushed tones about what they think is going on, and why, and Dave figures he'll ask about it later. Right now, all he really wants is a bathroom.

"Hey, Tav?" And just like that, the troll's attention is completely fixed upon him, again. "Mind letting me go for a bit?"

"You're leaving?" No, no, no. The last thing Dave needs in his life is another set of too-large, watery eyes. Goddamn, it's like he's living in an anime.

"Back in a bit. Just gonna grab something to eat."

"…oh." Tavros tilts his head like the thought hadn't even occurred to him, and he slowly unwinds his limbs from around Dave's body. He looks…small. And kind of pathetic, Dave thinks, sitting naked on the floor with his crumpled wings spilling down his back. As pathetic as a troll with horns and fangs and claws can be, anyway.

Dave gets up stiffly, not missing the way Tavros' eyes follow him as he leaves, and it really doesn't take that long to use the bathroom and get to the kitchen. Rose is already in there, and her gaze is steady upon him. He remembers that he hasn't changed and is covered in green ooze. Shrugging it off, he walks up next to her and waits for her to finish with the alchemizer.

"Why did we need to make a kitchen anyway? Kinda stupid, when all we use is the alchemizer."

"It's like a little bit of home." Rose answers without missing a beat, and Dave leans forward onto the table, dropping to his elbows.

"Think you could make me a sandwich? Since you're already in the kitchen and all." He knows he doesn't even have to explain the irony of the request to his slime sister.

"Make your own." She steps aside and tilts her head as he slides over. "How are you feeling?"

"Gross."

"And?"

"Weirded out."

"How do you think Tavros is feeling?"

Dave pauses.

"I don't think he knows what's going on any more than you do."

"Now you make it sound like I'm blaming him for turning into a beautiful butterfly or whatever."

Rose sighs. "No, Dave. But for whatever reason, it seems like he doesn't want to be around anyone but you, right now. Maybe it's because you're the person who has been there for him this entire time. Maybe he's feeling vulnerable and alone."

"You think his whole personality's different, now?"

"Dave, he's always been at the bottom of the food chain. He's of a very low class. And now he has yet another thing that's making him different. It could also be that he has some sort of hatchling mentality, seeing as how he did just hatch, so to speak."

"So, I'm like his mother?" Dave alchemizes another set of clothes for himself and some towels while he decides what he wants to eat.

"No. I just think…he needs a friend right now. Maybe you should go back to him."

"Was just leavin'." Dave grabs his plate of sandwiches (that he alchemized himself) and wanders back to Tavros' room, wondering if the troll really does see him as a parent now. Do troll hatchlings imprint? (Do trolls even _hatch_ , normally?) Is he going to go through life now with Tavros trailing along after him like a duckling?

Tavros hasn't moved since Dave left, and as soon as the door opens and Tavros sees who it is, he gives Dave the sweetest smile, and that's kind of cute.

"Hey, bro. You doin' okay? I brought food, if you want any."

"No, thank you. I'm not, hungry."

"And the first question?"

"I, uh…" Tavros shifts. "This is, really weird. I'm not… I don't, know what…"

"You and everyone else here." Dave drops to the floor in front of him, clothes and linens beside him, not missing the way that Tavros sways forward before halting suddenly. The coolkid takes a bite of another sandwich and, in a nod to Rose, asks, "What're you feeling?"

Tavros shifts, rolling his shoulders, and he glances only briefly up at Dave before looking away again.

"Spit it out, Tavbro. Emote, or whatever. We've already had naked gooey cuddle time. I think we're there."

"I want you."

Dave almost chokes on his sandwich, and Tavros quickly backpedals.

"I didn't mean… I, um, I… I just… Can I…" There's a brownish blush high on his cheeks, and he looks like he's curling in on himself.

Dave sighs and puts his sandwich down, opening his arms. "Come on, Tavbro."

Limbs shaking, Tavros crawls eagerly onto Dave's lap, letting the human situate him however he wants. His whole body relaxes in Dave's arms, wings trying to flutter and then settling. Slowly, Dave lifts a hand to one of them, brushing the top. Tavros makes a soft, happy noise, which Dave thinks is a good sign, and he takes to gently unfolding the membrane. He can see what Kanaya meant, now, about them being different. There is more substance to them, and though they're still damp, Dave can see the patterns and change in color, more intricate than Vriska's or Aradia's wings.

By the time he's worked both wings relatively loose, Tavros is practically purring in his lap. He's completely pliant when Dave slips out from under him and lays him down, chest pressed to the floor. The blond keeps his hands moving, straightening and opening Tavros' wings so that they lie flat. The troll's chin is pillowed on his crossed arms, and his whole body arches when Dave's fingers run down his spine, and wow, Dave had somehow forgotten that Tavros is naked. And slimy.

The first towel is saturated and useless in about ten seconds, and Dave wonders if he should have brought more. He strokes down Tavros' back, his legs (which makes Tavros whine), up to his hair and his horns (which makes Tavros moan, makes Dave bite his lip) and back up to his wings. A little worried about damaging them, he takes it as a good sign that Tavros stretches more and sighs while Dave coaxes off as much slime as he can.

Tavros' wings are beautiful, wet as they are. Sections of reddish brown, yellow, and even pink fan out from the base, and they try to flap again, starting to dry more quickly.

By the time he's done, Dave has stopped questioning why he's doing this, caught up in the little noises Tavros makes, the way he moves underneath him. And fuck if he can resist following the line of his spine with his fingers again, too.

"…Tav?" Dave swallows, trying to get the dryness out of his throat, and Tavros lifts himself off the floor and up onto his knees, shaking his head and blinking, like he's not entirely sure where he is. His pupils are wide, his face is flushed, and his wings are arching out behind him, sweeping beautifully to either side, though still a little folded in on themselves, the top half slipping down over the bottom. Dave brings another towel to his chest, making Tavros gasp and his wings twitch.

Sighing and tilting his head back, he looks like something out of a really freaky porno. He sits with his knees bent to either side, breath fluttering in his chest, and he shines everywhere Dave hasn't cleaned. But what's beneath the slime isn't bad at all, his skin soft and warm.

Distracted as he is, Dave isn't paying complete attention, and so he's startled when Tavros suddenly grabs his wrist, halting his hand right before it would have traveled between his legs.

"Shit. Shit, I'm sorry. You wanna do this part?"

Wordlessly, Tavros takes the cloth and finishes wiping himself down, and when he's done, the two of them sit and stare at each other. The troll makes the first move, having apparently come to a decision.

"Let me." Clawed hands tug at the bottom of Dave's shirt, and he rolls with it, thinking that Tavros is probably just returning the favor. Plus, he really would like to be not covered in goop. That'd be pretty sweet. Tavros goes immediately for his pants next, stripping everything clean off before Dave even reaches for a towel.

And then the troll's eyes find his dick, and he goes even more brownish-orange in the face before squeezing his eyes shut. "O-oh. I, um…"

"Whatever. I've seen you, too."

Tavros' head snaps up at that. "You have? I…when did…I…"

"Hey, relax, Tavbro."

"But I, didn't…did I? I was…"

Dave crawls forward, grabbing the troll's face in his hands and jerking his head up to look at him. "Calm down, dude. What's got you so freaked out? Come on, we can't possibly be that different, anyway."

Tavros glances down between them, biting his lip in thought for what feels like a long time, and then he speaks so softly that Dave's sure he misheard.

"What was that?"

"I said that, you can…have me. I-if you want."

When Dave just stares, Tavros flushes more and prattles on.

"If you did, I wouldn't, uh, mind. It would be, okay. I would, be okay."

"…what?" The way Tavros is speaking makes Dave feel like there's something very important he's missing, here.

"It's…out. So doesn't that, mean you want me?"

Dave backpedals so fast he nearly gets whiplash. "Whoa, Tavbro. Um…it's always out. Unless it's in my pants. But you took those off, remember?"

Tavros' expression of confusion is adorable, despite the subject matter. "Always, out? But…" He stares at it so hard Dave is starting to get self-conscious. "That means…you, don't want me?"

"Tavbro, are you flirting with me?"

"No!" The troll ducks his head in embarrassment. "I just, I thought, you wanted that, and then, um, I thought about it, and I decided, that it would be, okay, but now you don't, and it's, not, and I'm confused."

It's at this point that Dave realizes he's actually turning down makeouts (and maybe more, but he'll cross that bridge when he comes to it) with an attractive troll boy. His friends clearly have no problems with inter-species shenanigans, so what's his deal?

He takes a deep breath. "Tavros, when you hatched or whatever, you grabbed onto me and wouldn't take no for an answer. Went all snarly and chased your friends away, but not me. Why?"

Tavros thinks for a while on that before looking up at Dave. "I think, because, even though, we're friends, trolls are violent. I am, not violent, and so I am, um, an easy target. And I was…scared. But…you don't, scare me. You, wouldn't kill me, would you?"

"Fuck, you want to have sex with me because I wouldn't kill you? Those are your standards?"

"They are, fairly high standards, for a troll, I think. If you remember, uh, how often we've killed each other."

"Still, dude."

"Dave, I, um… I'm…comfortable, with you. It's okay, for you to, see me like this. I think."

The human sits there in silence for a while, so long that Tavros sighs and starts shifting his legs around like he's trying to figure out how they work. Which he very well could be.

With a voice much more steady than he feels, Dave asks, "So, how do I know if you want me back?"

"You didn't, uh, see?"

"Guess not."

"Would you, like to?"

And shit, no one should look that cute when they're propositioning sex.

Dave thinks about it. On one hand, human/troll shenanigans are clearly on the menu, he just hasn't sat down to eat, while John and Rose have both come and gone, leaving a generous tip and a promise to come back soon. On the other hand, a cute troll boy wants to have sex with him. A cute _fairy_ troll boy. Dave wonders if he sparkles, somehow.

…he can't remember what his objection to this was going to be. How about that.

In for a penny, in for a pound. Just listen to him, spouting _sayings_. He should be making up that shit that goes on the inside of Dove wrappers. "Be true to your heart and fortune will follow." Or in this case, "Consent to coercion by a troll vampire. It will land you with gay troll fairy sex." Yeah, that sounds good.

Anyway, getting back to the matter at hand…

Dave scoots closer, thinking that it's enough of a yes, and Tavros leans in with a giggle, tongue darting out to flick playfully at Dave's lips.

Except that tongue is freakishly long.

Tavros must think so, too, because he's sticking it out and crossing his eyes to see it. The sight makes Dave suppress a smile. Damn adorable troll boys.

"It's longer, than it was."

"You don't say."

Tavros looks up at him, and if Dave had to label that expression as anything, he would label it _coy_. But there's no way Tavros is being that flirtatious, is there?

The troll lifts one of Dave's hands gently, careful not to nick it with his claws, and brings it forward. Without even asking, he reaches that absurd (sexy) tongue out to wrap around one of Dave's fingers. The slippery muscle contracts, slides over knuckles, teases at his nail, and Dave has to bite his lip. Definitely flirtatious. And then some.

Pulling away, Tavros doesn't let Dave's hand go. "Do you want, to see?"

At Dave's nod, he tugs their hands down, and the human's more attentive than he would otherwise be, if only because he could swear he didn't see anything down there before. Tavros presses Dave's fingers gently to the smooth skin between his legs, moving them where he wants them, and okay, Dave can feel something there. A break in the skin, so narrow it's no wonder he didn't see it.

"There. T-touch me…there." He shivers when Dave teases his fingers along the slit, and as the gap widens, Dave's eyes follow suit, unable to keep a lid on his surprise. Tavros' own hand slides up, the heel of it rubbing at…ohholyfuck.

It just slithered out from…from _somewhere_. Dave watches in a sort of terrified fascination as the appendage snakes around Tavros' fingers, and the troll shivers. And Dave can't help it. He brings his free hand forward to feel around the base and up, coming to understand that Tavros must keep that thing in some sort of sheath. No wonder he looked like a Ken doll at first glance.

It's so…wiggly. And slimy. Oh. More slime. Awesome.

And now Tavros has opened enough for Dave's finger to accidentally slip inside, and both boys gasp. It's wet in here, too, and Dave moves his finger just a little bit, affirming that, yes, Tavros definitely has a pussy.

"What's this called?"

Tavros whines and rocks up into their hands. "My, um, my nook."

"Oh. Figured that was just another name for something else. Didn't know it was a whole different body part."

Tavros' nook thing is currently so fucking wet it is dripping onto his leg. _Dripping_. That's…kind of hot, and Dave presses another finger inside, looking up to see if Tavros is okay with it.

Tavros grinds down immediately, shuddering and apparently being very okay with it. His legs are trembling, and Dave isn't sure if it's from pleasure or from still being unused to them. Or both. His wings are shaking, trying to flap as he moves against Dave's hand, and they're actually dry enough that he's doing pretty well.

"How…um. How do I know, if you, want it?" His eyes are hazy as he blinks down at the human, and Dave thrusts up sharply just to see them close. Beautiful.

He's not quite ready to let one of those clawed hands near his dick, especially when Tavros' eyes are closed and unable to direct his movements, so he pulls his fingers free and wraps them around himself, hissing at the glide of them. Troll lube is awesome, even if it's orange.

Tavros moans and looks around to see why Dave stopped, and his gaze fixes upon where Dave is stroking himself. He doesn't think his dick has ever gotten this much attention before. Good thing he's not self-conscious.

"Hard," is all he's able to get out without his voice shaking, and Tavros scoots back to get a better look.

His eyes are wide, and he looks more like he wants to…eat it, than anything else. As soon as that tongue flicks out, Dave's giving an urgent cry of "No teeth!" Because as uncool as it might be to freak out, it would be even worse to get bit off by a turned-on troll who might not know any better. Though, with a dick like he's got, Dave can't really imagine trolls being fond of teeth, either.

With another one of those smiles that makes Dave feel almost bad about this whole situation - because Tavros seems way too cute to be dripping troll juice onto the floor - he scoots back even more, settling himself on his knees and elbows, and fuck, that is the hottest expression he's ever seen on the other boy's face. Tavros is looking at him like he knows exactly what he's doing. Like he knows how Dave is going to react and is merely waiting to see it.

And maybe he does, because when he wraps his tongue around Dave's cock more than once, he doesn't seem at all surprised when Dave gasps and rocks into it. Tavros laughs, and everything _vibrates_ , and Dave's eyes roll back in his head just a little. Those fangs are only a distant worry, as long as Tavros' tongue is. Everything's hot and wet and twisting and stroking and Dave could definitely get off from this.

But Tavros is whining, and he can't leave the other guy hanging. Wouldn't be gentlemanly. So he swallows and manages a, "Tavbro?"

Tavros pulls back, which is sad, but at least Dave can think now. What is he supposed to ask, though? Hey, I noticed you have this thing that reminds me a lot of a vagina. Mind if I shove my dick in it? I think you might like it.

The troll's lips twitch at one corner, and for one terrifying moment, Dave wonders if he said that out loud. Or if Tavros can read minds. Shit, can Tavros read minds!?

"I told you. You can."

"But do you…" Dave doesn't want this to be some sort of obligatory _thanks for taking care of me_ fuck. But he also doesn't want to seem presumptuous and ask if Tavros is intending to have sex with him. (Dave isn't sure what else he'd be planning, however.) Worst, though, would be pressuring Tavros into this.

"Dave, I'm making, a mess here." _/So hurry and stop it up./_

The sudden realization that, holy fuck, Tavros is _in his head_ is slightly offset by the sexy-as-hell suggestion and the fact that it's coming from _Tavros_. The whole sentence hadn't quite been there, but the implication sure was, and damn, if Dave isn't obliging.

Tavros watches Dave think in bemusement, and when the expression finally registers in Dave's brain, he might have blushed if all his blood weren't currently pounding through his cock.

He prefers to be obliging, as planned. Look, he's even standing up and walking all the way around Tavros' spread wings as the troll shivers, and damn, Tavros really is making a mess. Dave wonders idly what it would be like to eat him out. The human kneels behind him, his fingers drawn to the flushed opening like they can't wait to play with it. And maybe they can't. Dragging through the stuff trailing down Tavros' thigh, he takes note of the way those hips shift down and back. Tavros doesn't even need to be in his head to tell him what he wants.

Two fingers make the troll keen, and Dave is positive that they're going to need more than one towel after this.

Though he's shaking and making amazing soft noises that make Dave want to fuck him silly, Tavros doesn't push. Doesn't beg. He's patient. Trusting that Dave will take care of him.

The noise he makes when Dave starts to push his cock into him tops all the rest. His wings flap successfully, almost whacking Dave in the head, and the coolkid fits himself snugly to Tavros' back to keep it from happening again. Not that he isn't happy that Tavros really is a beautiful butterfly now, but damn, some things are just more important than trolls and their weird anatomy.

Except for the anatomy that's currently taking him in inch by inch. That's pretty fucking important. And goddamn, he must be gone if he's making terrible puns. That's it. Less thinking. Unless it's about Tavros and the gorgeous noises he's making. Tavros and the way his skin feels, warm against Dave's chest. Tavros and the way his whole body tightens up once Dave's inside him. Tavros and the way his legs shake so much that Dave has to wrap an arm around his waist to hold him up as he fucks him.

Tavros' dick brushing and twisting against his arm.

Tavros' nook clenching and relaxing and fucking _massaging_ him.

Tavros' voice calling his name as he comes all over the floor, all over Dave's thighs, and Dave wants to feel him, see him, hear him again and again.

Tavros' wings managing to flutter one more time, casting little swirls of sparkling dust around them both and making everything in that moment beautiful.

When Dave decides it's okay to start thinking again, they're both lying in a puddle of their own (but mostly Tavros') mess, and he raises himself up and sits back on his heels, worried about crushing those wings.

And because he really can't resist, he presses two fingers into Tavros' nook again, relishing the accompanying whimper and shiver. The troll does his best to get his knees under him, giving Dave room to start moving. Maybe this stuff is some kid of aphrodisiac, because he doesn't care at all that it's getting everywhere. He just wants to see Tavros come again. He doesn't know if troll boys work like that, but he's damn well going to try. He has a reputation to uphold as the King of Awesome.

Maybe he would've been cool with rising to that God Tier.

Turns out that troll boys can indeed come more than once, and when Dave stops, it's because he's a little worried that Tavros is going to end up dehydrated. The buckets make sense. They make so much sense. He pulls his hands away from both Tavros' nook and his bulge, which he's grown to appreciate, and lets him sink to the floor.

Dave nuzzles the back of his neck and mutters, "So, was it good for you?"

Tavros laughs shakily and tries to shrug him off, failing miserably.

Dave grins.

~~~~~~~

The orgasms are finished, the mess is cleaned up, and Dave is on his way back from the alchemizer with a new set of clothes for Tavros when he stumbles across Gamzee.

Stumble here being just a turn of phrase. He doesn't stumble anywhere. Saunters, maybe.

He _saunters_ across Gamzee.

Except that sounds a bit kinky actually…

"Hey, brother."

Thank goodness for the interruption. Dave does not need to start thinking about troll sex again. Shit, he's probably had enough to last him…at least a few hours or something.

"How's the motherfuckin' miracle troll?"

Dave stops in front of him, gestures to the clothes in his arms. "Just helping clean up."

Gamzee laughs, and Dave wonders if he knows what happened. "Tell Tav I'll be gettin' my wait on, if he feels like makin' an appearance. Tell him…I'm still here. He knows where to up and find me."

Gamzee doesn't stumble or saunter. He kind of wanders, like he's not entirely sure where he's going. Dave shakes his head, thinking that sometimes, that's probably the case.

"The clown troll misses you," is the first thing Dave says after he shuts the door. He's tempted to see if he can toss Tavros' clothes onto his horns and pass it off as interior decorating, but he refrains out of respect for whatever kind of camaraderie post-sex glows entail. That, and Tavros' smile is still so fucking sweet both his past and future selves are getting cavities. Along with all the ones in between.

"I should probably, uh, apologize, huh? For being, so mean to everyone?"

"I don't think he's expecting that. And I'm pretty sure no one blames you. But Gamzee wants you to know that he's still here. Or there. Whatever. Pick a place. It was poignant."

Tavros giggles. "Yeah. I'll, um, do that."

When he stands, his legs wobble only a little, though his wings flutter like mad for a few seconds before settling, and Dave fixes his hair in the aftermath, wishing that he had a sweet comb and pocket mirror to use while doing so.

"Hey, we good?"

Tavros frowns up at him. "What?"

"All this. We good?"

It takes Tavros a moment longer before he realizes what Dave's talking about. "Oh! Yeah. I think? Unless there's something, we should discuss?" He's getting that damn look again, like he knows more than Dave thinks he does. So Dave quickly diffuses the situation.

"Shall we?" He offers his arm to Tavros, and the troll stares at him blankly before Dave tugs one grey arm through and leads him out the door.

The common room is completely full, and Dave wonders if Gamzee has told everyone that Tavros would be emerging soon, or if they've all merely been dying of curiosity. He also wonders how long they were having sex, along with whether or not people have actually been waiting the entire time. Whatever the answer, Tavros freezes when they walk in, clearly not having expected everyone to be here, but then he takes a deep breath and drops Dave's arm.

"My lady." Dave ushers him forward with a little bow, and that makes Tavros chuckle.

It's with the ghost of that smile on his face that he walks forward (since he obviously hasn't had time to learn to fly, yet, though the execution of either action is pretty damn miraculous) and stops in front of Gamzee where he's lounging on the floor.

"Uh, hey."

"Hey." Gamzee's smile is slow and easy, hopeful and undemanding. "Thought maybe you weren't gonna be hangin' with me, anymore. Now that those pieces of art all up and grew on you."

In response, Tavros plops down in the other troll's lap, legs dropping to either side. "That's silly. Just because I'm, a miracle, now?"

"Always were a miracle, Tavbro."

Tavros grins. "But not, like this." And then he leans in close, like they're sharing some kind of secret, and Tavros' version of devious makes Dave's stomach flutter a little.

And then he gives one marvelous flap of his wings and showers the both of them in stardust.

And everything, in that moment, is beautiful.


End file.
